The Best of The Worst of the Right-Wing in 2013

December 23, 2013

Terrance Heath

From the second inauguration of Barack Obama to the latest skirmish in the “War on Christmas,” a steady stream of outrageousness flowed from the American right this year. Here are the best of the worst of the right-wing in 2013.

Granted, it might seem a bit far-fetched that Wheelers constituents would actually vote to bring back slavery. Then again, considering how often conservatives defend slavery, perhaps not. But Wheeler said he was only joking. So, it’s OK. Right?

Killing Trayvon Martin … Again And Again

The murder (yes, murder) of Trayvon Martin horrified most of the nation. Conservatives, however, set about trying to “prove” that the 17-year-old got what he deserved, by killing him again and again — with character assassination. There are so many “worst” moments that it’s impossible to choose just one.

You have to wonder if North Carolina Republican precinct chairman Don Yelton knew what he was getting into when he agreed to an interview for The Daily Show about voter ID laws. In any case, Yelton didn’t get the memo about the GOP’s “re-branding efforts before the cameras rolled on one of the most jaw-dropping television interviews of the year.

I’m glad the interviewer asked, “You do know we can hear you, right?,” because I was starting to wonder.

No issue highlighted Republican hypocrisy year like food stamps did. Few Republicans personified that hypocrisy better than Rep. Stephen Fincher, when he went biblical on food stamps during a hearing this summer, saying, “Those who do not work shall not eat.” (Sometimes those who work still can’t eat. )

Not only did Fincher misquote and misuse the Bible, but he did so for his own financial gain.

After losing the presidential election to Barack Obama, even after getting the majority of the white vote, 2013 was supposed to be the year that Republicans “rebranded their party. Consultants were hired, and seminars were held.

Someone forgot to invite Phyllis Schlafly. The Eagle Forum president and founder told a conservative California radio show why courting Latinos is a waste of the GOP’s time.

But nothing ratchets up the crazy like adding Obamacare to the mix. (See below.) So the prize goes to Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, who turned it all around and said that Democrats were actually waging war on women through the contraception mandate.

Being Mean To Poor People

As the year closes with no extension of unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, and another $9 billion in cuts to food stamps, 2013 is shaping up to be the year that conservatives succeeded in punishing the poor.

Fox Businesses’ Stuart Varney gave voice to the right’s attitude towards the poor, when he proudly admitted “being mean to poor people,” when he fulminated against anti-poverty programs.

Varney has a lot to say about poor people.

Punishing Federal Workers

Varney earns another spot on this list for his role as right-wing squawker, when he expressed his desire to punish federal employees, just for being federal employees.

No issues beats health care reform for great moments in GOP inspired insanity. Conservatives have compared it to slavery and nazism, said that “people will die” as a result of the law, and warned that health care reform is just a springboard for “the government taking your guns” and herding Americans into concentration camps.

There was so much that it was too hard to choose just one moment. So, here’s a highlights reel, of sorts.

Counting Down To 2014

This is hardly an exhaustive list. It was impossible to capture every moment of conservatives craziness. In fact, it was impossible to keep up, because the year isn’t over yet.

Just last week a couple of brand new moments of right-wing insanity surfaced that could have qualified for this list. Maybe we’ll catalog them as we count down to 2014.

About Terrance Heath

Terrance Heath is the Online Producer at Campaign for America's Future. He has consulted on blogging and social media consultant for a number of organizations and agencies. He is a prominent activist on LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues.